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The definition of hysterical blindness

This morning I had to prod Peyton awake, rubbing her belly and trying gently to ease her into consciousness. Her sleeping is all screwed up again with Relay and then with her napping during the day, she doesn’t want to go to sleep at night. If I thought the codeine would knock her out I was sorely mistaken!!

We took off for the Children’s Cancer Center for our Tuesday playgroup and she was really concerned to hear that Miss Sara, the director of this program, was out sick. I could almost see her little brain cogs turning, then she asked me if Sara had to go to the clinic. I tried to explain that not everyone who gets sick has to go to the clinic…thank God!….and she accepted that pretty easily. The kids had a blast playing and making crafts, we had a special music program there that the children enjoyed so much.

The moms talked about all the fun of having a child with cancer. Pain, sleepless nights, losing control and trying to find the balance of discipline and overindulgence. But we also talked about doing the best we can, reaching out for help when its offered and accepting that we can’t do it all. It’s a hard burden we’re given to carry, but when we all help shoulder the weight, it makes it a lot easier to do.

We got home after eating some lunch and Peyton dozed off hard.

Then the screaming began.

Loud screaming!

I took off running, positive that something was broken, bleeding or ruptured. In fact, it wouldn’t have surprised me to walk in and she was surrounded by cannibalistic aborigines! Nothing but the absolute worst of the worst could produce a screaming fit so piercing.

“I CAN’T SEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

At this point, with my heart racing and my adrenaline pumping I just stood there stunned for a moment. She’s blind! We’ve discovered a new and rare side effect of chemotherapy! She has a brain tumor that’s caused her to go blind!

Then I looked at her.

“It’s because your eyes are still closed, silly.”

One eye blinked at me….”Oh, thanks, mommy.”

Catastrophe averted.

f.r.o.G…fully relying on God
—-Anissa

2 Comments on “The definition of hysterical blindness”

  1. #1 Angela
    on Apr 18th, 2007 at 7:04 am

    Oh, Anissa. After I gasped for a moment, then read on took a sigh and again think how do kids come up with these things even from their sleep. Talk about an adrenalin roller coaster in the matter of 10 seconds.
    Hope your night went better.
    Love,
    Angela

  2. #2 JD
    on Jan 11th, 2009 at 2:07 am

    Gray (or white, in my case) hair is genetic… we get it from our kids. Even at the ripe ol’ age of 34.

    Whew. I feel like I just ran a marathon, just reading that post. I’m all out of breath, and my heart is racing… Whew!